My last day here on earth...

If today was my last day here on earth...

...and I would then stand before God's judgment seat, and if He were to ask me why He should let me into heaven, what would be my response?

Would I begin to think of my good deeds and depend on them?

Or would I, without hesitation, say that I am depending on the righteousness of Christ and am confident that He is a sufficient Savior?

Jesus is the only person to get into heaven by His good works. When we put on His righteousness, God credits the good works of Jesus to our account.  Hence, His righteousness is imputed to us:

For "whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past..."  --Romans 3:25

Christ received the judgment due to our imperfect humanity, and we receive the reward due to His perfect humanity. 

For God has made Christ to be our "wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption..."

--I Corinthians 1:30

"I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;
my soul shall exult in my God,
for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness..."

--Isaiah 61:10

Watch this.

It may forever change the way you look at youth ministry and Sunday school.

http://dividedthemovie.com/#watchlink

Wow.

Where do we spend the best hours of our day?

Where do we turn to for rest, enjoyment and pleasure?

What idols do we have in our lives that are 

stripping us from time with our Savior?

Do you want to feel inspired?

"The homemaker has the ultimate career. 

All other careers exist for one purpose only--and that is to support the ultimate career."

--C.S. Lewis

My Journey to One Thousand Gifts

I have begun a journey to 1,000 gifts. 

Not gifts that I want. 

Gifts that my glorious Father has already given me. 

Gifts that He places in my day to day life that whisper, "See how much I love you?"

 

Gifts that I have taken for granted. 

Gifts from our Maker, showing that He has a hand in every single detail of my life. 

Gifts that I have in times past enjoyed, but not turned my eyes upward to thank that "Father of Lights", of whom every good gift stems from (James 1:17).

These gifts will stretch me, cause me to grow in my walk with Him, particularly during times of adversity. 

Times when I want to focus on the hard thing I'm facing. 

Times when I feel a negative, self-pitying attitude wash over me.

These gifts will redirect my focus, teaching me how to "in everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."--I Thessalonians 5:18

#41...long, dark baby eyelashes
#42...my daughter's cheerful disposition in the morning
#43...the peace having a budget brings
#44...Jesus coming down from heaven to get His hands and feet dirty, so our souls can be made clean

Hospitality: Culture driven or Christ-centered?

"Use hospitality one to another without grudging (grumbling, complaining)."  --I Peter 4:9

The culture's definition of hospitality is focused on the physical:  cooking a gourmet meal, making my house look like something out of a magazine. 

How many opportunities have I missed because I thought our house wasn't in perfect condition to show hospitality to others?

We grumble and complain about hospitality when we subject ourselves to the culture's way of thinking.

How do we shift our focus to a Christ-like view of hospitality?

Christ's focus is always on the spiritual, the eternal.  He is always more concerned with relationships than He is about the outward appearance of the physical things here on earth.

Christ wants our focus to be others-centered instead of self-centered.  My self-centered heart causes me to grumble about serving others through hospitality.

We are called to the ministry of hospitality, because we cannot build a relationship with someone by talking to them for a few minutes in the aisle after church.  Relationships grow when we open our hearts and homes to others.

Recipe for Hospitality:

Slow Cooker Roast and Vegetables

Roast, thawed
2 cans corn
2 cans carrots
2 cans green beans
1 packet McCormick Slow Cooker Pot Roast Seasoning

Spray crock pot with non-stick cooking spray.  Place roast in crock pot.  Pour vegetables, undrained, into crock pot around the roast.  The liquid should be almost even with the top of the roast.  Pour seasoning packet on top of the roast, making sure to cover entire top of the roast.  Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 8 to 10 hours.  The liquid from the vegetables will make the roast so tender that it will come apart with a fork.

Hospitality is NOT about ME

When we are preparing to have guests in our home, are we more concerned with...

How I can impress others with my beautiful home and cooking skills?

than we are about...

How I can minister to and encourage those who will be in my home?

How do we welcome guests into our home?

Do we act excited to see them?

Do we ask them questions about their lives?

Or do we wait for them to ask us questions about our lives?

Do we listen to our guests and focus on them, or do we draw the conversation towards my life and what I've been doing?

Are we truly interested in the lives of people we bring into our home?  

--like Mary in Luke 10:39, who sat at Jesus' feet and heard His Word... 

Or are we more interested in what they are thinking about my life/my home/my cooking skills?

--like Martha in Luke 10:40, who was more focused on what Jesus thought about her preparations than what words Jesus wanted to share with her

-------------------------------------------------

A recipe for Hospitality...

Sausage Cheese Pie
My husband and I love to eat breakfast for dinner!

1 pound sausage 

1/2 cup salsa 

1 cup cheese
1/2 cup Bisquick

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

Cook sausage in skillet.  Drain.  Spray a 9-inch pie plate with non-stick cooking spray.  Spread sausage into pie plate.  Pour salsa over sausage.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Mix together remaining ingredients. Pour on top.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.